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Pre-Established Harmony
Synopsis First Half On the day of the Watanagashi Festival, Keiichi arrives at the Furude Shrine and marvels at the number of people. He spies Satoko, Shion, Rena, and Mion waiting for him. They look at him with dramatic anime determination. A chibi Keiichi runs up to great them only to have cotton candy shoved in his face. Stunned, Keiichi falls to the ground as Mion looks at him disapprovingly and scold him for being late. Chibi ''Keiichi ''anime dramatically rises up to challenge Mion, and she dismisses him by noting that he is "finally in the mood" before shoving another cotton candy into his chibi face. Satoko slyly reminds him that a festival does not mean The Club can let up. Rena teases him for thinking he can win "on his first try," and Shion lets him know that the penalty will be "double." Keiichi welcomes the challenge, and they start with the "Takoyaki Speed Eating Contest." In a room, Rika stands in front of a mirror in her miko clothes as three middle-aged women announce she is done. They declare her the "cutest" of all who have worn it. As they dote on her, Rika looks at herself sadly and inwardly, in her Adult Voice, laments that "again this day has come," and nothing has changed. She lists in her mind every detail of her outfit, until, surprisingly, one of the women notice a tassle of her staff has a few threads sticking out. She apologizes that she meant to change them as the others playfully chide her. To Rika's surprise, she cuts them. She wonders inwardly if it is just her "weary preconception." She decides to step away from the mirror and walk away, which surprises the three women. They ask her where she is going. In her Child's Voice, Rika tries to stammer a reply. One of the women chides her that she needs to come back since they do not have much time. Reluctantly, Rika obeys. At the Takoyaki stall, each member of the Club devours a plate with determination. Mion demands another plate while a chibi Keiichi struggles with his own. Rena asks him what is wrong. Shion slips into frame to remind him that he is "far behind." As he chibi rages'', Satoko enters to note that, "This is a difference in our skill," then ''chibi laugh her trademarked laugh of ridicule at him. Keiichi determines to catch up by swallowing a bunch only to chibi ''run and scream over the temperature. Rena offers him a glass of water. Keiichi protests when Satoko scolds him that the others at a lot quickly. Mion then lets him know they chose ones that had been left out for a while. Mion playfully dismisses his protests. Igniting in dramatic ''anime flames, Keiichi vows not to be beaten. He attacks cotton candy, demanding "NEXT (次・つぎ・''tsugi'')!" continuously as the scene pulls back to an arial view of the stalls outside the Furude Shrine. That night, Keiichi collapses to his knees conceding "total defeat." The girls standing before him snicker in satisfaction. Mion genially reminds him that he lost a Club-sanctioned activity. Shion helpfully adds that she did warn him that it covered "double" penalty. As the girls approach, Keiichi retracts in horror than points to his left and tells them to look in that direction. Mion smiles at what she thinks is "pretty obvious," but on Keiichi's assistance, she looks to see Rika walking with the three women who helped her dress in the area above the stalls. Rena quickly enters Cute Mode. Mion calls out to her, but Rika serious expression changes only slightly, and she ignore her. Satoko looks disappointed while Mion claims Rika must not be able to hear them. They then hear drum which heralds her dance. Shion explains that Rika's dance is starting and advises them all to hurry. They all run save Satoko who simply stares up at where Rika walked. Keiichi stops to get her attention. Satoko then joins them. Rika appears before bedding holding the ritual hoe. They all watch her dance and finally bury the large hoe into the prepared bedding. She walks off to the applause of the villagers. Inside the shrine, the three women congratulate her, but she rushes past them. One suspects that she needs the bathroom, and another is suprised that she could "hold it that long." Rika actually runs up the desperately saying outloud, "Where? Where are you?" She runs into Tomitake Jirō. Surprised he happily announces that it is only her, but Rika immediately grabs his arm and demands to know if he already went inside. Jiro looks embarrassed and tries to pretend that he has no idea what she is talking about. She demands he not try to fool her, but Jirō merely makes a gesture of coughing twice. Rika lets him go, and he starts to pass. In her Adult Voice, she advises him that he better be careful. He stops and turns as she informs him that he and Takano Miyo will be killed that night. At first stunned, he nervously tries to laugh off Rika's warning, but Rika cuts him off angrily. Still unable to comprehend, Jirō playfully asks if Rika means she will curse him and Takano. Rika can only grit her teeth in frustration as he laughs again and walks off. She falls to her knees and starts crying. Satoko watches sadly from behind a tree. Somewhere else, Jirō begins to claw at his throat. The next day at the Hinamizawa Branch School, Keiichi reacts to Mion telling him something. Mion hushes him, while Rena sheepishly thinks everyone already knows. The younger students talk amongst themselves: "Do you think it's the curse?" Keiichi asks Mion why Jirō and Takano when neither came from Hinamizawa. Rika sits quietly at her desk apart from the rest. Satoko notices this and recalls what Rika tried to tell Jirō the night before in a brief flashback. Their teacher Chie Rumiko enters to tell Rika that someone is waiting to see her. Rika slowly walks and encounters the detective Ōishi Kuraudo. When he greats her with his characteristic enthusiasm, Rika simply asks what he wants. When he tries to continue his banter by noting that she seems to be in a bad mood, she cuts him off to tell him to hurry up since she is "quite a busy person." Ōishi opens his note book and asks her what she talked with Jirō about the night before. He blathers a long explanation of how someone he assumes wishes to remain annonymous saw the two of them together just past 8:30 P.M. then comments on "the power of The Three Great Houses." Rika merely responds that there is no reason to keep it a secret: the two were having a "chat." He asks that since the dance only just concluded at 8:30 P.M. what she was doing in the woods far away from the shrine. Rika embarrassingly responds that she "leaked a little." She pretends that she had a bit of an accident for holding it in so long: "That's why I didn't want anyone to know, meow." She then asks that Ōishi keep that secret as well. Aparently satisfied, Ōishi bids her farewell and leaves. Rika's expression changes from "cute" to serious as she walks away, Satoko emerges behind a door and watches, thinking that Rika has told a lie. She then has a flashback to her conversation with Rika at home during the night, and she wonders if Rika lied then as well. At home that night, Rika stares at the dishes in the sink as water runs on them. Satoko notices that the water is overflowing. She asks her again if something is bothering her, and if it is, she wants Rika to tell her. When Rika denies it, Satoko asks if Rika does not trust her. In tears, Satoko suddenly confesses that she was spoiled by her brother and did not realize she was hurting him. Still, she had hoped that Rika was her friend. Rika tries to smile and reassure her, but Satoko insists that she know why Rika is lying. As Satoko cries, Rika inwardly asks forgiveness since she does not feel she can tell anyone the truth. Outside, a boot steps on a twig which startles the both of them. The two look out the window in fear, and Satoko insists that she heard someone, but Rika changes her expression to playful and assures Satoko that it probably was a cat, "Nyaah!" After she closes the window, a man looks from behind a tree. Second Half The next day, Rika runs to school calling Satoko to hurry since they are late. Satoko rushes to catch up. Behind a tree, a man still watches. Satoko turns suddenly but does not see him. At school, Satoko notices a man lurking right outside the window. When she looks up, Chie scolds her for not paying attention. She apologizes, and when she looks again, the man is gone. That afternoon, Mion apologizes that she has work which cancels Club activities. She leaves with Shion. Rena suggests to Keiichi that they walk home, leaving Satoko and Rika alone. Rika gives a "cute" farewell, but Satoko looks around nervously. This time, Rika asks her if something is wrong, and Satoko pretends it is nothing. As they reach the foot of the Furude Shrine where their bikes are parked, Satoko continues to look behind herself. Rika insist that Satoko tell her what is wrong. Rika reminds Satoko of the very words she said the night previously. They sit on the steps, and Satoko explains her concerns. Rika claims she does not feel anyone watching and suggests that Satoko is overreacting. After a "Nippa~!" she places her fingers in Satoko's mouth to make her smile. She then does the same for herself to finally make Satoko laugh. Rika then jokes that it’s mean of Satoko to laugh at her and tickles her. In the old part of the village, the two complete their shopping at the grocer. Satoko points towards a supermarket only to see the man duck behind a door. Rika still insists that this is just Satoko's imagination. That night, Rika sits up against the refrigerator with a drink and responds in her Adult Voice, "And? You're saying that I look tired?" She drops the glass, spilling its contents. As she watches the spill spread over the tiles, she notes that she will die, everyone will die: "It's useless. I'm so tired of this." Satoko enters drying her hair to find Rika already in bed. She has flashbacks of the man watching them. The next day she confesses this to Keiichi, Mion, and Rena. Mion asks Keiichi if he has noticed this, and he responds that he did not. Mion assures her that they will be on the look-out. Later, as Rena and Mion fill water pitchers, Rena wonders if Satoko could not be imagining things and Rika not notice anything strange. Mion admits that she has wondered about that as well. Rena wonders if Satoko is being paranoid. Mion shares this concern. As they discuss her, Satoko listens from behind the adjacent building. That night, she laments that no one will believe her, and she begins to fear that either something is wrong with her or the man is watching her. She notices that Rika's bed is empty. When she hears her coming, she rolls over as if asleep. She hears Rika say, in her Adult Voice, that she is scared. Satoko remembers how Rika warned Jirō, but did not tell this to Ōishi. Satoko struggles to figure out why. Is the man threatening her? Is there some reason Rika cannot tell the truth? Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Rika crying. Satoko vows that she has to protect Rika. On the grounds of the shrine the next morning, Satoko sets to work. Rika sees her as she leaves for school and asks her where she has been. Satoko claims she heard a stray cat and wanted to feed it. She then rushes to be the one to lock the door. As she does, she places a leaf between the door and its frame. As they start to walk, Satoko points her towards a shortcut. As they walk, Satoko suddenly claims that she forgot something, and asks Rika to go on ahead without her. They happily depart, but once Satoko leaves, Rika turns dark again: "No matter what you do, it won't make a difference." As she says that Satoko runs. She makes her way to the Irie Clinic only to find the police there. Kumagai Katsuya reports that "the cause of death was an overdose on sleeping pills." On the other end of the radio, Ōishi cannot believe Irie would commit suicide. Satoko stands stunned in disbelief. When Kumagai tries to shoo her away, she protests that she had an appointment with Irie. This surprises Kumagai. Satoko goes on to explain that she called him that morning to discuss an issue with him, and he told her to come by whenever she is free. Kumagai asks her what she planned to discuss with him. Satoko looks embarrassed, admits that what she will say "will sound extremely stupid," and explains that someone has been spying on her and Rika. She has know proof, and she wanted to talk to Irie since she knew he would listen without laughing at her and try to help. Kumagai tries to console her and promises to have the resident officer visit her home during his patrol. A man in a gray uniform outside his white van uses bolt cutters to cut a lock on a chain link fence in front of a small cement building on the side of a road. Kumagai just happens to pass him as he does this and stops. When he asks him what he is doing, the man shoots him with a silenced pistol. Two other men in gray uniforms come out of the woods. That night Satoko realizes that she fell asleep at the table. The time is midnight, and the officer obviously never came by. As Rika sleeps, she hears one of her trip wires rattle a noise maker. Outside their home, a man stands. Teaser Chibi Rika and Hanyū happily discuss the new Higurashi no Naku Koro ni official website: oyashirosama.com. They both giggle as they report there are things one will see that are not on the broadcasts. Chibi Rika looks serious and asks in her Adult Voice: *"Did you really look?" Chibi Hanyū continues that one can access on mobile phones. After Rika announces the new titles, she smiles and threatens: *"Watch it, or I'll curse you!" Characters In order of appearance *Maebara Keiichi *Various Unnamed Hinamizawa Residents *Hōjō Satoko *Sonozaki Shion *Ryūgū Rena *Sonozaki Mion *Furude Rika *Three Unnamed Middle-Aged Women *Unnamed Ceremony Man *Tomitake Jirō *Unnamed Children from the Hinamizawa Branch School *Takano Miyo (mentioned) *Chie Rumiko *Ōishi Kuraudo *Hōjō Satoshi (mentioned) *Stalking Man *Kumagai Katsuya *Irie Kyōsuke (mentioned) *Three Unnamed Yamainu Referbacks and Forwards *As noted in previous episodes of this arc, Shion is an open classmate and Club member. In previous arcs in which she appears she is either afraid to show herself or has no interest in Rika's dance. In Lost Things of Tatarigoroshi-hen, Mion happily reports that Keiichi did not notice Shion's attempts to flirt with him. *Similarly, this time, Keiichi makes it to the front of the crowd rather than finding himself behind it and unable to see which leads him to follow Shion who has no interest in the dance to eventually enter the Saiguden. *Rika tries to prevent Jirō and Takano from entering the Saiguden; however, in other arcs they do this during her dance when nearly all of the village it as the shrine watching. This is depicted in arcs where Keiichi accompanies Shion. Jirō remains outside as a lookout. He warns Takano and Keiichi and Shion when he hears people coming. It appears what he hears is Rika approaching. *Irie also apparently committed suicide in Apology of Tatarigoroshi-hen. *Men in Gray Uniforms with White Vans oh my! Trivia *oyashirosama.com currently still works. Cultural References *''Takoyaki'' (蛸焼・たこ焼き) Memorable Moments *Rika seeing small moments where events unfold slightly differently than her many previous lives. *Satoko apparently did have a good relationship with Irie such that she could trust him despite his creepy obsessions played for comedy in the arcs. Quotes *"Don't let a precious mement of this festival go to waste!" - Mion to Keiichi *"Again this day has come. Nothing has changed." - Rika *"Hurry up and get this over with. I'm quite a busy person." - Rika to Ōishi Gallery Jirō_Claws.png|Next time . . . listen to Rika-chan! White Van and Men in Grey.png|Just routine forestry maintenance. . . . Oyashirosama Website.png|www.oyashirosama.com Higurashi Kai Title Card 04.png|The episode title card. Category:Episodes Category:Yakusamashi-hen Episodes Category:Anime